The present invention relates to a method and to equipment for the manufacture of a light metal vehicle wheel.
It is known to provide vehicle wheels with very good emergency running properties in the case of a flat tire, as is known from the German disclosure 32 44 046. Such vehicle wheels have rim horns directed radially inward, which enable the rim to support itself areally on the inside of the tire which is in a depressurized state. The rim has a surface formed with a tread for use in the case of a flat tire.
It is known to produce the rim for such light metal wheels by casting or forging. In both cases, the rim horns, which are undercut, must be formed during an additional step of manufacture. This extra step creates problems, especially when a free space between the rim horn and the wheel disc is very small. Even foldable supporting tools acting in this free space to support the rim horn cannot be used. If the premolded rim has the finished contour of a tread on its outside for use in case of a flat tire and also has its radially inner surfaces parallel to the axis of rotating the rim at the same time, i.e. without undercuts, then a considerable amount of material will be wasted in the form of chips when the tire seating surfaces are machined to form the undercuts and to direct the rim horns radially inward.